Beer, Sake, and Spirits

Contents

  1. Beer
  2. Sake
  3. Spirits and Distillation
  4. Vodka and Gin
  5. Whiskey and Whisky  
  6. Brandy
  7. Calvados and Eau-de-Vie
  8. Rum, Tequila, and Mezcal
  9. Bitters, Liqueurs, Cordials, and Other Spirits
  10. Review Quizzes

Beer

Beer predates wine as one of the oldest known alcoholic beverages (only mead surpasses it in age), and the discovery of the fermentation of grain is closely linked to the transition from a nomadic society to a settled agricultural society during the Neolithic Revolution.

The fermentation of starchy carbohydrates is a more complicated matter, however, than the transformation of grape sugars into alcohol, as a grain’s starch must be converted into sugar before fermentation can begin. Thus, the aim of the brewing process is twofold: the brewer must first derive the wort, a sugar-rich liquid, from malted grain and then the brewer must ferment the wort. Typically, the raw ingredients required for this process are water, yeast, hops, and a starch source. Hops, the dried flower clusters that provide flavor and bitterness to beer, have both preservative and antiseptic qualities that inhibit bacterial growth. This simple formula was detailed as early as 1516, in the Bavarian Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), which codified the three ingredients authorized for beer production as barley, hops, and water. The action of yeast in fermentation was at the time undiscovered, and wheat, a component of Hefe-Weizen and white beer styles, was reserved for the production of bread.

In the modern brewing process, the first step is to create the malted barley, or malt. Barley—the cereal grain of choice for most beers—is steeped in water for approximately two days to promote germination of the grain. Once the grain begins to germinate, or sprout, it is transferred to compartments with controlled temperature and moisture levels. As the sprout grows to nearly an inch in length, the enzyme amylase is produced. Amylase converts the starchy carbohydrates of the grain into the fermentable sugars

Comments
Anonymous
  • Hey Michael! This is confirmed via the EU Technical File and the guide is updated. Thanks!

  • Regarding the section on Brandy de Jerez: "Brandies labeled Solera will have been aged for a year on average, whereas Solera Reserva brandies age for an average of 3 years, and Solera Gran Reserva brandies age for an average of 10 years." There are some different aging requirements listed on the Consejo Regulador web site, which indicates a minimum average age of 6 months for Solera, one year for Reserva, and 3 years for Gran Reserva: www.brandydejerez.es/.../production-process

  • Hey Vivian! This is updated to reflect the compendium definition. 

  • Nigorizake here is defined as "unfiltered sake", but in the Compendium it states that it's "coarsely filtered though mesh or net" since all sake must be filtered to legally be defined as Nihon-shu. 

  • Thanks, Brandon! This is updated.